Holding Back the Tide
by Riordan and Lark
Summary: Finally, the opportunity for shore leave greets the wornout Atlantis crew. But is this shore really paradise? With the help of Ancient secrets, will they be able to find some rest without the galaxy needing to saved in the meantime?
1. Shore Leave

Holding Back the Tide

_By Lark_

"What?!"

Major John Sheppard braced himself as the voice echoed down the hallway outside his office, a sound as welcome as hearing that the Steelers had lost a football game. The Ancients that had built the wondrous city of Atlantis were mind-blowingly skilled with technology, but the acoustics of their corridors needed some work. Any minute, Dr. Rodney McKay would come walking around that corner to tell him all about his latest fault or, if he was lucky, about some complaint against the world. Sheppard, not wanting to encourage a lengthy discourse to rival Kavanaugh, quickly occupied himself, hoping to appear busy. The familiar sound of the scientist's stride preceded him down the hall.

"Unacceptable!" McKay announced as he entered the room.

Sheppard didn't bother to look up. He shuffled some papers in a folder in front of him.

"What now, McKay?" his voice was flat. He hoped he didn't sound too interested.

"I can't believe it!"

Sheppard chanced a glance at McKay. His face displayed the usual, dissatisfied expression that often accompanied him when a situation particularly frustrated him, blue eyes set and determined. This couldn't be good.

"Believe what? Come on now, I haven't got all day." The major let out a sigh. The papers received another dutiful shuffle.

"Dr. Weir has refused to let me stay behind to work on getting that broken down transporter up and running again." McKay stood in the doorway, indignant.

"Oh, so they wouldn't let you cancel your own shore leave?" Sheppard looked up at McKay and ran a hand through his dark black hair. "My heart bleeds for you."

"You just don't understand," McKay shot back, picking up on Sheppard's blatant sarcasm. "What has to be done, has to be done I don't have time to sit back and relax." In the next moment, he vanished from the doorway, no doubt to find Weir and let her know how he was feeling about her executive decision. Feeling pleased with having dodged the usual string of technical terms that he didn't understand or care about, the major propped his feet up on his desk and leaned back, smiling to himself. He added "they won't let me cancel my own shore leave" to the top ten complaints list, right up there with "Zalenka's been rearranging my sock drawer."

He was still smiling when Weir entered into the room.

"Have you-" he began.

"Yes, Rodney's been by," she answered. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

Sheppard motioned her to a chair, pushing aside the folder that had saved him from McKay's usual downpour.

"Yeah, what about?"

"I want you...to talk to him. At least convince him that he has to get away from here. If he doesn't see some relaxation, he'll go insane."

"I'm not entirely sure he hasn't already," the major answered.

Weir gave him a look, and then continued on.

"Please, John. Just give it a try."

Sheppard was about to make up some desperate excuse, but figured it wasn't worth the effort.

"All right, but if he wants to work on his precious transporter instead of slacking off for a day or two, I can't stop him."

It didn't appeal to Sheppard to try and convince the scientist to leave his work for a moment. He decided to do it for Elizabeth, but he didn't know what good it would do. Some people called McKay a genius, but he called it madness. He found him in his lab, running some tests on a device that one of the teams had brought back from a recent mission. His hands worked the buttons furiously and the major knew that in his mind he was still running over all of his complaints. He tapped at the door lightly.

"What do you want?" McKay snapped.

"Nothin', just wanting to have a little chat." Sheppard tried to appear nonchalant and leaned against the doorpost. His eyes wandered around the lab.

McKay looked up from his work.

"If this is about me not taking leave..." He pointed at him with one of the Ancient objects that looked like it could be quite solid if it should be thrown at a certain major. Sheppard was a little relieved when he put it down and began typing on a keyboard.

"I just think you should. I mean, even a genius like you has got to take a break. Breaking the code of the Ancients and redefining the universe as we know it isn't easy." Sheppard chose his words carefully. If a little boost to the scientist's pride didn't do it, nothing would. "Besides, if we find any new technology on the planet, you wouldn't want to let Zalenka have all the fun."

McKay's hands stopped for a moment above the keyboard. In a moment, he looked up at Sheppard with a less severe look. He blinked a few times, and Sheppard could almost see his thought process running over the thought of his friendly rival having the glory of discovery without him.  
"You give me no choice," he finally remarked with some defeat. "I'm going on shore leave."

Sheppard left the lab with a smirk on his face. Weir would be pleased to know that Rodney had decided to take a normal course of action, however reluctantly. He expected that many of his notes would be accompanying him off-world, but if that's the way he wanted to spend his free time, then the major wouldn't stop him. The idea of pouring over pages of notes appealed to him as much as facing a Wraith with an empty clip in his gun...

Dr. Elizabeth Weir reached the control room in time to see the first group of vacationers leaving through the Stargate.

"Is everything in order?" she asked of Sergeant Bates.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you, Bates." She turned and saw Sheppard enter the control room. He had a small pack with him. "Are you all set, major?"

Sheppard pulled out a candy bar from his bag and held it up.

"Got my snacks."

McKay, with his usual purposeful stride and a pack on his shoulder, entered the room, snatching the candy from Sheppard's hand.

"I'm ready to go as well, Dr. Weir. Oh, is that chocolate?" He took a small glance at the package in his hand and then continued on. "Where's Zalenka?"

"He's already gone on to the planet we've chosen for leave, along with the rest of the group that's vacationing this time."

McKay blinked at them for a moment, and then turned, heading for the gate.

"If either of you need me," he said as he shouldered his pack, "I'll be on vacation."

After he had disappeared into the event horizon, Sheppard nodded to Weir and followed through the gate.

On the other side, the major found himself in the center of natural beauty. As far as he could see, lush forest rose from the ground to soaring heights above. Strange, foreign plants grew in masses around the tree trunks. He took a deep breath of the fresh air. It wasn't a couch in front of the TV, but it would do.

**Author's Note: Obviously, I don't own any of the characters in this story, or the plot, title, the universe, etc. I've only had the privilege to see the first season of this wonderful show, so if the characters are a little off, then it's because I'm a tad behind. Enjoy!**


	2. Settling In

The others from Atlantis had set up camp near a flowing river in a clearing. The tents weren't exactly luxurious, but they served their purpose. The water ran clear and refreshingly cool, and the plants thrived on its plentiful supply. Sheppard, once he had established his tent and belongings, ventured out around the camp. He found Dr. Carson Beckett and McKay discussing the toxicity of a native plant in their usual animated way and chose to move on. He didn't want to be called upon to tell the difference between a green plant with red-tipped leaves and a green plant with red-tipped leaves.

By evening, everyone had settled in and was, more or less, content. McKay couldn't keep himself from muttering a few grumbles about being refused with his request to stay and work on Atlantis, but even his sour mood couldn't hold up under the cheerfulness that quickly gathered. Ford had brought some marshmallows that his grandmother had sent him and Sheppard had reluctantly parted with some chocolate. Someone, who preferred to remain anonymous, had smuggled a package of graham crackers out of Bates' personal stash in the storeroom. In minutes, the group enjoyed toasted s'mores under the brilliant moonlight of the planet. Rodney tried to educate Dr. Zalenka in the ancient ways of marshmallow toasting, but the scientist liked his burned black. Kavanaugh sat outside the ring of merry toasters, sipping a cup of coffee bitterly. He had a pad of paper on his lap and was figuring some equation. Dr. Carson Beckett, walking by with a cup hot tea, shook his head. Dr. McKay refused to believe it, but he had a lot more in common with the unfriendly scientist than he thought. At least Sheppard had managed to pull McKay out of his pout. Ford landed a well-aimed s'more at the major in his lap. Startled, John jumped halfway off the supply crate that he was sitting on, spilling his cup of hot cocoa on himself.

"Ford!"

Dr. Weir joined the circle in time to break up what would have become a cocoa-slinging fight.

"Do I have to separate you two? Or are you going to try and get along?" she asked them, raising an eyebrow. "I'd hate to have to report that two members of SG-1 were suspended for brawling with hot chocolate."

Sheppard and Ford gave each other mock angry glares and sat back down. The evening wasn't ruined by the incident, and soon after, the Atlantis crew was involved in a raucous game of charades.

When all had settled down for the night, Sheppard lay on his back, staring up at the sky. The stars shone brilliantly in the dark sky, so many more than what would be visible from his back porch at home. There was no doubt about it- the view was definitely impressive. Why was it that he had never noticed how bright the stars could be until he was actually among them? He yawned and turned over in his sleeping bag. He was planning to enjoy this vacation to the utmost.

A late sleeper by nature, John Sheppard awoke the next morning when the sun was already far in its ascent into the blue sky. The camp was busy, but in a casual way. Some were exploring the near forest, while others had started on a hike through the woods, hoping to find a beautiful picnic spot. Dr. Zalenka and McKay were arguing about how to make proper coffee. All was right with the world.

He sipped his own coffee and bit into a granola bar. He gazed around, ears detecting every sound. Dr. Weir sat down beside him.

"This place is secure, John. You don't have to worry. We made sure that nothing would bother the shore leave, not this time."

"Yeah," he answered. "It's a great place..." His voice trailed off.

"But what?"

"It might just be me, but I can't help but think that a place this beautiful, this resourceful, this ideal, would be left uninhabited. It's amazing that there could be one place that the Wraith haven't touched."

"You just can't relax, can you?" Elizabeth prodded his shoulder. "Relax. That's an order."

"Yes, ma'am." John gave a casual salute and finished his cup of coffee.

"Dr. Weir?" A voice came from behind. "The water supply that we brought with us is running low."

Weir turned around and addressed the woman who was in charge of the rations.

"There's a stream just outside of the camp. We can use that for our supply as long as we use the filters. What about that crate of MRE's? Did you find it?"

With a parting nod to Sheppard, Weir set out to put the camp into order. The major strode away to see what he could occupy himself with.

Rodney McKay preferred his lab at Atlantis, but he decided that he could make do with what he had. He had brought a few of his notes and some of his equipment with him. Settling into a chair, he contented himself by having a handy cup of java nearby as he skimmed over his data. He hadn't understood his assistant's incredulous stare as he poured the coffee and took an experimental sip. What he didn't understand was that Sheppard had told her that he brewed his coffee with an old sock tossed in to give it flavor. After shaking off her surprised stare, he had retired to his tent. Time passed, and when the entrance of another person interrupted him, he had to pull himself away from the notes to look up.

"Ah, Sheppard."

"Enjoying your leave, McKay?"

"Quite." He cleared his throat and pushed the papers aside.

"Well, I thought this would make your day. Some of the people who went hiking this morning found something that might interest you." The major picked up a notebook and began leafing through it idly.

"Yes?"

"Oh, but I thought that you'd rather pour over your notes. That kind of thing wouldn't interest you anyway." Sheppard continued to flip the pages of the notebook aimlessly. McKay was getting impatient.

"What wouldn't interest me?"

"Oh, nothing. Just some Ancient ruins."

McKay jumped up from his chair and drew closer to the major.

"Where? Are there any artifacts?"

"I don't know about the artifacts, but the location will cost you something..." The major's eyes found a candy bar that was partially buried beneath a pile of notes.

McKay glared at Sheppard. He didn't want to give up his candy bar, but his impatience won out over the chocolate. Thrusting the chocolate into the major's hand, he said, "Fine! Now where is it?"

Satisfied with his prize and having annoyed McKay, Sheppard turned and pointed towards a faint path that trailed away through the trees outside the camp.

"Follow that path until you find something that looks like a rosebush covered with yellow paint-splatters, then turn left, and you're there in twenty paces."

Furious at the delay, Rodney wanted to say something biting back, but he couldn't think of anything. He resorted to grabbing his notebook and storming out of the tent.

Sheppard retreated with his candy and stashed it safely in his tent. He then took up a position near the river in the shade of a tall tree. Time off was really beginning to pay off, in more ways than one, he thought to himself. He watched the crystal water flow past, dazzled by the sparkle that the sun's rays set dancing on the surface. The serenity sunk in, and before long, he was dozing peacefully.


	3. The Danger Strikes

His siesta was rudely interrupted when he felt a hand shaking him awake. His bleary eyes took in a fuzzy shape that resembled the last person in the galaxy that he would want shaking him awake.

"McKay...what's going...on?" His words were cut off by an unstifled yawn.

"You've got to see these ruins. They're fantastic!"

Sheppard blinked at him incredulously.

"That's it? You woke me up for some rocks?"

"Not just rocks, major. They're ruins from an Ancient civilization that once lived here. There could be any amount of helpful knowledge in those markings. You need to come and have a look."

Before he could protest, Sheppard was pulled to his feet and dragged into the forest. It was a short walk to the site of the ruins. A large meadow spread before him, speckled with bright flowers of many colors. Crumbling walls stood where once beautiful structures stood, the remaining fingerprints of the bygone civilization. Sheppard stepped quietly after McKay, who was already approaching a tall pillar that had been raised near several others like it in a circle. It was covered with Ancient symbols- the markings that McKay had been ecstatic about, Sheppard supposed.

"I'm not an expert on this particular dialect, but I'm sure that I could translate most of these symbols." The scientist's eyes were lit with excitement. He cleared his throat and began pulling off some vines that were entwined around the stone. "Oh, if only Dr. Jackson were here, he'd have this done in a flash."

"Well, it looks like you've got your work set out for you." Sheppard gave him a pat on the back and turned to return to the camp. "I'll send some people to join you."

McKay rolled his eyes.

"I don't need help."

"It's for your protection." When the scientist was about to protest, he cut him off. "You never know what could be out here. Snakes, mutant bugs, killer moss, you know, Wraith..." He left the rest of the list up to McKay's imagination. Hopefully the threat of danger would keep the scientist close to camp and unwilling to adventure alone. Hopefully.

Sheppard entertained himself for the rest of the day. When mid-afternoon came, he was lounging in his tent, reading a book that he had found in Weir's tent. It wasn't particularly fascinating, but he found it relaxing to sit back and unwind. It was definitely better than anything that he could have rummaged from McKay's stuff, like notes on leadership. At the moment, he was formulating a plan to get the book back to her tent before she noticed that it was missing. He would also need a plan to get Ford back for that hot cocoa incident the night before...Most of the groups that had taken hikes into the woods had returned and were napping in the shade or enjoying snacks. A cool breeze drifted by, making the trees' boughs wave. Sheppard looked out over the camp. A peaceful calm had settled over the Atlantis crew, something that hadn't been seen or felt for some time. It was a much-needed rest for the hard working explorers. Fighting strange dangers and journeying where no man had gone before wasn't exactly a walk in the park, or the forest infested with life-sucking bugs, however you wanted to look at it. He noticed that a group of three people were helping someone to Dr. Beckett's tent. He didn't think much of it, only that he was glad that his work hadn't followed him to shore leave. Snatching his small pack full of snacks, he set out for a small expedition of his own into the woods.

It was late afternoon when he returned to the camp. He had reached the outskirts when he saw a considerable crowd gathered around the doctor's makeshift infirmary. Jogging in to see what was happening, Sheppard made his way to the edge of the group.

"What's going on?" he asked the nearest scientist. The people around him merely shrugged and kept whispering to each other. John saw Beckett inside and pushed his way through to him.

"Carson!" he called. His eyes took in twelve people lying on cots in the tent, covered with warm blankets. The doctor looked up, hung his stethoscope around his neck, and then stood.

"Major," he acknowledged.

"What's going on, Carson?" Sheppard's features were beginning to take on a worried look.

"I don't know. It started with a few earlier this afternoon with a wee bit of a headache. Then, they got worse, feelin' something awful, fevers and all that. More came later, and now they're like this." His arm swept the area. "It's like nothin' I've ever seen. Headaches, stomach pain, fever, shakes...It's like all the bad sicknesses all rolled into one."

"Does Weir know about this?"

"I haven't had the time to go and fetch her, lad. I've got to stay here and do what I can."

Sheppard nodded and turned to go and get Dr. Weir, surprised to find her entering the tent at that moment.

"Someone told me it was an emergency. Carson, what's the situation?"

"Well, as far as I can tell, it's not a virus. It might be contagious, but time can tell better than I can. There's not a lot I can do until I figure out what's causin' it. We've got twelve sick so far, and I'm hopin' that's all that'll show up."

"Any ideas?" Weir gazed around the infirmary with anxiety in her eyes. She was far from panic, however, even at the sight of so many casualties.

The doctor shook his head and took a deep breath.

"It could be anythin' at this point. The symptoms aren't specific to any one sickness, so it's hard to tell."

"Thank you, Carson. We'll let you get back to your work. Let me know as soon as you find anything."

Sheppard and Weir left the tent quietly. Elizabeth seemed deep in thought, troubled by the latest happening.

"Look. It's probably nothing," Sheppard said. "Probably something a bit wrong with that chicken noodle soup MRE, who knows?"

"Let's just hope it doesn't spread," she said softly.

Hours passed and night fell silently. A few of the Atlantis crew were gathered around the campfire, but it was a much more somber gathering than the night before. Beckett was still at work with his patients. Sheppard was about to take a sip of hot chocolate when a young scientist collapsed nearby. Two of her friends were instantly at her side, supporting her. Sheppard jumped to his feet to assist, leaving his cup behind.

"Get her to the infirmary!"


	4. Desperation, but Not Despair

Half an hour later, Sheppard was still standing in the infirmary, trying to stay out of the way. He wanted to help, but decided he could be of more use if he stood to the side. There were now seventeen people in the infirmary. Beckett hurried from one to another, trying to keep them as comfortable as he could. Fatigue showed clearly on his face. The major knew that it was hard for him, not knowing how to help his patients. After passing by each one again, he found a chair and slumped in it. Sheppard went to him. The doctor ran a hand through his dark hair and passed a weary hand over his eyes.

"Carson, you need to rest. Let some of the others take care of them for awhile."

Carson shook his head.

"I can't do that. These people need my help!"

Sheppard was about to respond when a group of more of the Atlantis crew came into the tent. Carson sighed and looked up.

"Three more patients..." He gazed at Sheppard. "I've got to keep working. There's got to be an end to this!"

Sheppard watched the doctor go, and hoped that the next morning's sun would bring some hope.

After a night of little sleep for most of the camp, Major Sheppard awoke slowly. He pulled himself out of his tent for a quick breakfast and then headed over to the infirmary. Five more people had joined Dr. Beckett's sick list. He found the Scot still at work. He was taking a sample of blood from one of his patients.

"Carson," he hailed him, walking over to join him. "Any progress?"

"Aye, but it's backwards." Carson sighed and looked at the syringe he was holding.

Dr. Weir entered the tent and joined the group.

"What's the news, Carson?" she asked, sweeping her gaze around the growing infirmary.

"Well, it's not a virus, and not contagious."

"Then why are so many people sick?" Sheppard asked, puzzled.

"It's got to be something else, like a poison."

"Poison?" Weir looked alarmed.

"Aye, poison. It'll take time to figure out where it's coming from, if it's local, or something wrong with our supplies from Atlantis."

Rodney McKay appeared behind Sheppard, carrying a handful of notes.

"We've analyzed samples of each person's blood to find any coinciding components. All of them have a foreign element." McKay took a deep breath. "But we don't know what it is."

"What about this sickness, is it life-threatening?" Weir asked.

"I don't know, I haven't seen anything like this before. Some people have a strong resistance to it, but when their immune system finally gives in, it has a stronger effect. That is why these most recent patients have worse symptoms." Carson paused and put a hand over his eyes. Elizabeth placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you all right, Carson?"

"Aye, I'm fine. Anyway, I don't know if this is life-threatening, and if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not find out." Beckett took his leave and returned to his patients.

Sheppard was heading over to his tent when he saw McKay starting out for the Ancient ruins. He called to him before he entered into the forest.

"Hey, McKay!"

The scientist turned and blinked at the major. He did not look like he had the time to pass the time of day.

"What?"

"Where are you going? Doesn't Carson need your help?"

"I was only getting in the way. I've gotten some work done on those Ancient translations. Maybe there's something in the symbols that can help. If the Ancients lived here, they must have had a cure for it." With those words, he turned and walked down the winding path.

"Either that or that's what made them leave," Sheppard said quietly to himself.


	5. Learning from History

The day passed slowly. McKay and a few others had been out at the ruins for hours, and if Sheppard was right, he wouldn't reappear at camp until one of three things happened: he was dragged away, attacked by killer vines, or he found something that could help. Beckett and his team were still swamped with the number of patients. Four more Atlantis team members had fallen ill, and the ones who were sick weren't showing any signs of improvement. The group that had gone on shore leave was dwindling down to a healthy few.

It was early evening when McKay returned. Returned would be an understatement- rushed back would be more appropriate. His arms were full of papers covered with scribbles and what appeared to be words. He found Weir at a table and dropped all of the papers in front of her.

"I found something," he announced breathlessly.

"What is it, Rodney?" Weir asked, alarmed.

"Look at this," he replied, pointing to a line of Ancient that had been circled many times. "We've been looking at this all wrong."

"Tell us, Rodney!" Weir was lost.

"All this time, we've assumed that the poison was always here." The scientist shook his head, mentally retracing his steps. "I finished translating the rest of the symbols. They talk about the planet and how the Ancients were developing a sort of weapon against the Wraith here, something about "a bane for those who...the next word was hard to interpret. With what we know about the Ancient language, I worked on it. It's either 'kill' or 'laugh.'"

"I'm hoping that it's the first one. But that could be anything!" Sheppard interjected, entering the tent with a cup of coffee.

McKay ignored him.

"Two words later, it mentions their hate for those who draw life."

"The Wraith?" Weir asked quietly.

"Obviously." McKay continued on quickly, picking up speed. "Apparently, the Wraith discovered their position here and threatened to attack. It seems that their research was unsuccessful, and many of their scientists were falling ill over time. The Ancient gene must give some kind of temporary immunity to whatever it was, but they eventually went under. They took all of their research with them when they fled, but they left something behind as well." McKay pulled a paper out of the stack and presented it to Sheppard, who couldn't make sense out of any of it. "As far as I can tell, they left one of the first trials of a Wraith poison in the water."

Dismay spread over Elizabeth's face. Shepperd's eyes widened in shock and his hand released his cup, which hit the ground and dashed the untasted coffee by his feet.

"In the water?" Weir repeated.

McKay nodded his head seriously, still trying to catch his breath. Another dazed moment passed, and then both Shepperd and Weir leaped into action. Elizabeth ran over to the water supplies and unplugged the stoppers on them. The Atlantis crew jumped to their feet, confused and talking all at once. Sheppard dashed into the infirmary, where Beckett was madly trying to keep up with all of his patients plus the two new ones that had just come in. The major was astonished at the sounds that filled the air around him. There was coughing, moaning, heavy breathing, and some crying. Sheppard found the doctor pulling a blanket over a technician who was shivering uncontrollably.

"Carson! It's in the water!" He stopped and registered his surroundings. "What's going on?"

"I don' know. It looks like it's taken a turn for the worse." Carson looked up at him with eyes that were full of exhaustion and the beginning of despair. Sheppard knew that the Scot didn't give up hope easily, so it had to be bad.

"Isn't there anything you can do?" Sheppard felt his anxiety surfacing. He had experience in dealing with emotions, but the stress had gotten to him at last.

"Gettin' this epidemic to stop would be like holding' back the tide, son. It can't be done!" Carson said, exasperated. He wavered uncertainly on his feet for a moment.

"You've got it, too," Shepperd whispered, realizing what was going on. "You need to rest, Carson."

The doctor shook his head. His gaze swept over the scene before him.

"No, I can't do that, son. I've got to do what I can." His voice betrayed his fatigue, but his eyes still shone with resolve. He patted Sheppard on the shoulder as he passed, returning to his work.

McKay entered the infirmary with a laptop. Shepperd saw the scientist talk with Beckett and then they quickly began to work at the lab. McKay had pulled out the results of the blood tests that they had taken earlier and was comparing them with some water from the river. In a few minutes, he called to Beckett.

"There it is! The same strain in the water as in the blood."

"Can you determine what it is?"

"I'm working on it." McKay turned and saw Shepperd standing there. "We'll have to run a lot of tests to see what kind of antidote this will take."

The major nodded. Outside, someone was calling for him.

"Good luck," he told them as he hurried out.


	6. The Tide

Dr. Weir had managed to empty all of the water containers, spilling their tainted contents on the ground. After being told about the water, many threw out their coffee and cocoa, horrified. The sun had set and warmth was slowly leaving. Elizabeth sat on an overturned container, looking out over the camp. Clouds obscured the moon and the starlight. The only comfort she had was the light the campfire offered. It seemed that she couldn't protect her people from anything, even from their own shore leave. It had been her decision to bring them there, and now many of them lay, possibly dying, from a poison intended for the Wraith. What was the next step? Would McKay and Beckett be able to make an antidote before it was too late?

Elizabeth heard a distant roll of thunder and felt a sudden gentle breeze blow by. She looked up into the darkness that stretched into the heavens above her. A single raindrop fell on her cheek, which she brushed away like a tear.

Minutes later, a roaring storm came upon the small camp. Crewmembers worked to anchor their tents down, preventing them from blowing away, and dashed out of the rain. McKay and Beckett remained at the lab, trying out various substances to counter-act the poison.

No one slept that night. Between the thunder and the worry that had settled on the camp, slumber was impossible. Shepperd, after bringing some of the supplies out of the downpour, sat inside the tent where all the food rations were kept. He could see the infirmary through the rain and wondered if they were any closer to saving the Atlantis crew. It was hard for him to accept that he couldn't help.

Hours passed slowly, and the storm lessened a little. Shepperd figured it was about 3:00 in the morning. His limbs ached from fatigue, but he refused to sleep. The door of the tent was pushed aside suddenly and he jumped up, startled. Dr. Weir stepped inside and looked at him, dripping from head to foot.

"I'm going to the infirmary. Are you coming?"

"Yeah," he answered, glad to leave the tent.

He and Weir dashed through the rain shower and into the infirmary. Rodney and Carson were still at the lab, surrounded with beakers filled with colored liquids. Both looked worn out. However, they seemed to have a spark of hope lighting their eyes.

"What news do you have for me?" asked Elizabeth.

"I think we just about have it," Rodney responded, not taking his eyes of the computer's readout.

Weir felt relief rush through her, but she checked it. Shepperd looked a little less worried.

"That's definitely good news. How much longer?"

"Can't say for sure," McKay answered.

"Just a few more tests," Beckett added from his side of the table.

"I'm going to spread the word among the crew. They'll be wanting to know what's going on."

As quickly as she had come, Weir was back out into the storm. Shepperd watched the doctor and the scientist work. Beckett's hands were shaking a little, which was unusual. McKay handed him a vial of faintly blue liquid.

"Try that," he said.

Beckett picked up a beaker of a clear solution and began measuring some of it into a smaller flask. A young soldier near Shepperd called faintly for water. The major knelt next to him and helped him down a few drops of water. Suddenly, he heard the sound of shattering glass. He spun around and saw Carson slumped on the table. Rodney was instantly at his side, wrapping his arms around him and helping him to the floor. Shepperd quickly joined him. McKay supported his head and looked up at Shepperd.

"He's got it too," John told him, looking at Carson lying senseless in his arms.

McKay felt his wrist for a pulse.

"It's not good." He pulled one of the extra blankets off a pile and wrapped it around Carson. He looked at Shepperd with apprehension covering his features. "You're going to have to help me."

"But...I don't know anything about stuff like this!"

"At this point, does it really matter? We're running out of time!" McKay lowered Carson's head gently to the ground and then stood. Shepperd, ignoring his misgivings about being thrust rudely into the world of science, decided to do what he could to help. With one last glance back at Carson, he joined McKay in the lab and looked around. Most of the words that Rodney was using fell uselessly on his ears, making little to no sense. Even some of the things that he saw on the table were foreign. Now he knew how General O'Neill felt when Colonel Carter started on one her brilliant scientific revelations: completely lost.

"Hand me that beaker there," McKay interrupted his thoughts, pointing to a group of glass beakers, any of which could be the one that the scientist wanted. "The one with the polarized..." He broke off sharply and blinked, understanding. "The blue one, Shepperd."

The major snatched the glass full of the faint blue liquid and handed it to Rodney, who held another beaker filled with a clear solution in his other hand. The scientist poured a fraction of the blue liquid into it, carefully measuring. In seconds, the blue dissipated into the solution. McKay, using a glass stirring rod, put a drop of it onto a sensor connected to the laptop. With a strike of a key, he started a series of tests and comparisons between the strain and the antidote. Shepperd watched, anxiously watching the computer work. Not usually prone to anxiety, he found his hands clenching nervously. All around him, he could see that time was running out.

"Close," McKay said under his breath. "But not close enough. We the antidote to completely counter-act the foreign agent. Hand me the...one with the yellow label."

A small amount of another clear liquid went into the beaker. Almost melodramatically, a crack of lightning split the night sky and brought a new torrent of rain down. Again, McKay put a sample onto the sensor and began the tests. Even he seemed anxious. He turned to the major and took a deep breath.

"If this doesn't work-"

"It'll work," John cut him off. He was not an outgoing optimist by nature, but he felt that it was the truth.

The laptop screen scrolled the results of the tests and McKay's eyes scanned through the data. He reached the bottom of the list and his head dropped forward. Shepperd was at his side instantly.

"What is it? Are you all right?"

"Just relieved," McKay answered, turning towards him. His eyes were filled with new energy, that familiar spark that Shepperd had seen before when he solved great puzzles. "Come on, we have a job to do."


	7. All is Right with the Universe

The next day when the sun arose, the beauty of the landscape was shining with the rain that the night had brought with it. Shepperd, looking out of the infirmary for a moment, thought he had never seen anything more beautiful than the newly awakened world and the sunshine. He, Rodney, and a few others had spent the night getting the antidote to the whole camp. The patients were sleeping soundly and many of their fevers had broken. Tired himself, Shepperd was looking forward to a nice, long nap, uninterrupted by any new discoveries or threats to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As he turned back to go back inside, he saw that Carson was waking up. A little confused, the Scot sat up and looked around blearily.

"What? What's happened?" he asked.

Shepperd went to him, smiling.

"You dropped off," he told him.

"What? Then what about-"

"They're fine. The antidote worked," he assured Beckett, who calmed a little, considering this.

"So, I guess a welcome into the scientific community would be in good order," he proposed. He slowly turned, about to get off the bed.

"Are you sure you should get up?"

"Would you be a doctor, too? I'm fine, lad." Carson stood and straightened his coat. "I've no time to be layin' around. Besides, " he added, "You look like you're the one who needs the rest. It's not easy workin' miracles, son."

"You call a little bit of polarized whatever in a beaker a miracle?"

"Aye, if it's a cure. You held back the tide, son. That's the miracle." Beckett looked around at his infirmary. "Well, I'm off now. Go find yourself some rest."

Sheppard left the infirmary, hearing Beckett mumbling to himself happily something like, "A regular King Canute you are, commandin' the sea."

Shepperd awoke about five hours later to find the camp in good order. Most of the former patients were on their feet and back to health. Dr. Weir joined him for a small snack.

"Well, it seems that this shore leave will work out after all. Now that we've smoothed out the few bumps, it should be good sailing from here on out."

"You call a mass poisoning a bump?" Shepperd asked good-naturedly.

"Well, I think our crew's faced plenty dangers for the time being. All we need is a good rest."

"I completely agree," came a voice from behind. Rodney McKay sat down at the table with them, looking quite pleased with himself. "Let it not be said that I didn't know how to relax."

"Says the man who wanted to stay and work on the transporters," Shepperd said from the depths of his cup.

McKay ignored the remark and took a sip from his own cup. He cleared his throat.

"I found something that might interest you..."

"What, McKay? I've had enough surprises already."

"Oh, it's probably nothing that you'd like."

"What?" Shepperd was beginning to feel annoyed.

"I know you're not into Ancient technology and just the hiding place of highly advanced weapon wouldn't mean anything to you..."

"What? A weapon? Where?"

"Oh, but that'll cost you." McKay's eyes found the chocolate bar that was tucked into one of the major's pockets. "Say, for the price of one candy bar?"

Shepperd spirits sank a little. He pulled out the chocolate bar that he had swindled from Rodney a few days earlier.

"Fine," he succumbed, surrendering his prize. He thought regretfully about his choice to save it, not to eat it. "Now where's that weapon?"

A week and a half later, all of the Atlantis crew was back at their highly advanced home, getting back to work. The vacationers told the others about their adventures while others went straight to their beds, looking forward to a mattress after a time of sleeping on the ground. McKay was right at home, already griping about the work that he had to do on the transporters. He and Dr. Zalenka had begun their argument about Ancient technology and the best way to make atoms dematerialize. Shepperd, losing them after the phrase "triangulate the relative positioning of the provisional electrode ions," decided to slip off for a nap himself. The day had been saved again, the base was buzzing with ideas and new findings, his secret candy stash was intact, and McKay was a good two floors away. All was right with the universe.


End file.
